Writers Joan Rowling and Margaret Atwood, philosopher Noam Chomsky, as well as another 149 cultural figures, journalists, scientists and teachers signed an open appeal in which they opposed “ideological uniformity”, “moral categoricality” and oppression of those who express opinions that are different from the prevailing ones in western society.

A document entitled “A Letter of Justice and an Open Discussion” was published in Harper's electronic version of the journal. It is also planned that the material will appear in the October issue of the print edition.

It follows from the letter that amid protests in the United States and other countries of the world, the issue of maintaining equality and inclusiveness in society has become more acute. However, his decision, according to the authors of the letter, entails other problems.

“Such a necessary movement to improve the situation strengthens a number of new moral attitudes and political convictions, which tend to weaken the accepted standards of conducting open discussions and tolerant differences in favor of ideological uniformity,” the document reads.

Signatories are concerned that due to the desire for tolerance, it becomes impossible to fully exchange information and opinions. Statements are evaluated on the subject of not truth, but compliance with the norms of the new morality.

“The tendency to condemn is becoming more widespread in our culture: intolerant attitude towards opposing points of view, the fashion of betraying people by defamation and ostracism, the tendency to dissolve complex political problems in a blinding stream of moral categoricality,” the authors of the letter say.

They recalled cases when various sanctions were applied to editors, journalists, researchers and teachers for addressing controversial issues, citing objectionable materials and covering prohibited topics. The authors of the letter emphasize that modern rhetoric does not recognize the right of error for cultural workers.

  • © Shot from the series “The Handmaid's Tale” (2017)

Thus, the range of issues is narrowed, the opinion on which can be expressed without fear of public censure. Therefore, many public figures began to avoid the risks that entail "deviation from the prevailing opinion or even insufficiently zealously expressed consent."

Rowling, Atwood and other cultural figures are calling for a different path to discuss contentious issues.

“To defeat harmful ideas, you need to reveal their essence, make arguments, convince others, and not try to drown them out or dream that they will disappear in some magical way. We reject any false choice between justice and freedom - one cannot exist without the other, ”they emphasize.

The authors of the document also insist on recognizing their right to make mistakes: “We, writers, need a culture in which we are given room for experimentation, risk, and even mistakes. We need to maintain the opportunity to express sincere disagreement without fear of dire consequences for our work, ”the letter reads.

By the way, Margaret Atwood's most famous work, The Handmaid's Tale, depicts a totalitarian society where religious censorship flourishes, and morals and interpersonal relationships are controlled at the state level. There is also a morale police in the fictional world.

The series of the same name, based on the book, was awarded the Golden Globe and other awards.

No opinion

Recently, Joan Rowling has repeatedly appeared in the center of discussions. So, in June, the writer was accused of transphobia. The reason for this was a post on Twitter, in which Rowling called "menstruation" women.

Many users of the platform sharply criticized the writer (although there were also those who defended her). From the author of books about the magical world of Harry Potter, the actors who became famous thanks to their adaptations - Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe and Eddie Redmayne turned their backs on.

MuggleNet and The Leaky Cauldron, the largest Internet fan community, later announced that they would significantly reduce Rowling’s coverage. Thus, they decided to support transgender people in their ranks.

In addition, Joan Rowling expressed the opinion that “a new type of conversion therapy has appeared for young homosexuals who are sent on the path of lifelong medicalization, which may lead to their loss of fertility and / or full sexual function”. She also expressed concern that young people with mental health problems are being encouraged to use hormonal drugs and surgery, which may not be beneficial for them.

Later, amid a wave of criticism of her, Rowling emphasized that she was not going to give up her views. At the same time, she quoted an American writer and screenwriter Lillian Hellman: "I can not and will not cut my conscience to please seasonal fashion."